Planning permission could be sought for the controversial Odsal Sports Village as early as July.

Bradford Council's regeneration and economy improvement committee was told yesterday that work was now under way to see if the scheme was financially viable.

Around 70 people attended the meeting at Low Moor Wesleyan Reformed Church to spell out their opposition to the project and hear the latest developments.

They handed over a 700-name petition demanding the retention of Horsfall playing fields, which would be sold, along with the site of the Richard Dunn Sports Centre, to pay for the venture.

As well as the creation of a sports village at Odsal, the multi-million pound scheme involves building hundreds of new homes.

The overall scheme involves a partnership between the Council, Bradford Bulls and Leeds-based developers Landmark Development Projects.

One resident was applauded when he spoke of his children needing Horsfall as a free sporting facility.

He told the meeting: "This is our jewel and yet people are conspiring against this community to take it away."

Chairman of the meeting Councillor Val Slater (Lab, Royds) also criticised the lack of coordination between Council departments after learning that a public consultation on sports facilities would not be published in October.

She said: "This demonstrates that people are not looking at this as a whole.

"We have just heard that this could go to planning in July - that cannot be right."

A provisional agreement on the scale and type of sporting facilities required by the Council has been reached between the three partners, and this is now being costed to see if it is financially viable.

Council officers at the meeting admitted slow progress, but said the project would only go ahead if the area's sports facilities could be either fully replaced or enhanced. But ward councillor Andrew Thornton (Lab, Royds) criticised the deals being done. "The Council's minimum requirements are not a great deal more than we have already got. It seems to me we should be asking for a great deal more," he said.

A further report to the committee is expected later this year.

l The Council's executive yesterday decided that consultation would go ahead on a new proposal for the education of deaf youngsters in Bradford.

Views will be sought on a proposal by staff at Thorn Park School for the deaf, Heaton, for two specialist centres, a primary and a secondary, located on two mainstream sites. A further report will be brought before the executive along with a final proposal before the end of the summer term.